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Conference Spotlight
2026 Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Fusion Science and Technology
November 2025
Latest News
Blades-in turbine inspections at Quad Cities set new benchmark for Constellation
When Constellation decided to install replacement Alstom low-pressure turbines at three of its boiling water reactor plants more than 15 years ago, one benefit was knowing the new turbines should operate reliably—and without major inspections—for several years.
Hong Ran, Jilai Hou, Binbin Song, Yuncong Huang, Dangshen Zhang, Qinwei Yang, Le Tang, Xiaoqiang Wu, Zen Cao, Lijun Cai
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 1 | January 2024 | Pages 126-136
Note | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2182149
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The vacuum vessel (VV) is one of the main components of the HL-2M tokamak device. It is a thin-shell, all-welded torus made of Inconel 625 material. Maintaining the welding quality and controlling welding distortion are the main manufacturing difficulties. Welding, forming, and assembly are the research focus. This technical note describes the fundamental manufacturing research and development (R&D) and the actual manufacturing procedure of the HL-2M VV. Three stages of R&D work are carried out. The weldability of Inconel 625 plate is studied. Partial and full-scale mock-ups are made. By optimizing the manufacturing process, the HL-2M VV was completed in 2019, and the measurement data meet the design requirements. HL-2M has good vacuum performance, the total leak rate reaches 6.0 × 10−8 Pa·m3/s at room temperature, and the ultimate vacuum pressure reaches 2.4 × 10−6 Pa after baking up to 100°C.
